NEWS IN BRIEF

Tribune news servicesCHICAGO TRIBUNE

BIG CHANGE FOR THE PYRAMIDS: A 12-mile fence now encloses the plateau on which the Giza Pyramids stand, complete with alarms, motion sensors and a high-tech security system to be monitored around the clock.

The hawkers who have made the site a scene of barely controlled chaos for years are being phased out, and soon tourists will no longer run the gantlet of "guides" insisting on providing their services. Rather, visitors will enter through a central security building holding metal detectors and X-ray machines.

FINDING BRITAIN BARGAINS: VisitBritain has some tips for Americans interested in swapping homes as a way to save money on vacation.

The tourism promotion agency recommends Intervac -- www.intervac.com -- as a home-exchange program that offers a "diverse selection of apartments, country houses and cottages in England, Scotland and Wales."

Green Theme International Home Exchange Holiday Service -- www.gti-home -exchange.com -- specializes in "eco-friendly homes," which may have solar panels, fluorescent or LED lights and sometimes even bicycles or hybrid cars.

Other recommendations: www.homeexchange.com for house swaps, www.sloane club.co.uk and www.london apartmentservice.co.uk for self-catering apartments and www.beabritdifferent.com to connect with locals for tips on places to go and ways to save money.

For more information, call 800-462-2748 or visit www.visitbritain.us/.

FALCONRY PROGRAM: A falconry program has opened at the Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania's chocolate town of Hershey.

The program educates participants about the birds and the sport's history and includes outdoor free-flight demonstrations, a demonstration of the bird's hunting techniques and a chance for a photo with a bird.